


In the Small Hours

by nereidee (aurasama)



Series: Nascence [2]
Category: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Master & Servant, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2019-08-28 06:21:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16718017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurasama/pseuds/nereidee
Summary: Collection of independent one-shots set in the Count the Daylight Hours universe, ranging from gen to mature. Read chapter notes for possible warnings."Summer would come and when it did, the castle grounds would be transformed. The baron would emerge from Brennenburg and walk, ghost-like, quiet as a whisper, in his garden and see it in full bloom for the first time in living memory, perhaps."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know you, you're not from here  
> I've waited for you to appear  
> To take my breath away and make me weep  
> You're not from here  
> Not from this here and now  
> Just a touch of yours and I fly, and I fly, and I fly
> 
> Lara Fabian - You're Not From Here

_October 1840_  
  
Alexander saw the carriage speeding towards the castle long before it ever came rattling on the courtyard, the pale lantern light flickering between trees coming closer and closer being the only thing to materialise from the dark woods. He could just make out the figure of the cloaked man riding in front of the carriage and he inhaled sharply, getting to his feet at once.  
  
At last. He'd finally get to meet this Englishman.  
  
It had been late in the summer that the outrider had delivered a letter the baron had not expected; one from an old acquaintance in London, responding to the open caretaker's position. The letter had been the best, and only, application he'd received, which had hardly been a surprise. The castle's reputation in the area was anything but attractive and Alexander had fully accepted the position would never be filled again following the untimely death of his previous caretaker, which had just fuelled the rumours surrounding Brennenburg. The past year had left him weary, the castle's solitude weighting more heavily on his shoulders than perhaps ever before, and by July he had privately decided that it was time for him to move on and leave Brennenburg for good before the turn of the year. Nothing good would come from clinging to its former glory, not when every room carried echoes and memories of times past that he no longer had the strength to carry. Not him, not in this endless silence and solitude that had become his prison.  
  
But then, the letter had challenged his resolve. He knew nothing of this man the professor wrote about and his letter of recommendation detailed experience that was not exactly relevant to a caretaker's position, but it had sparked Alexander's curiousity, at least. The man – Daniel, that was the name – was an archaeologist, learned in history and languages despite his young age according to the professor's description, and the baron had quite liked the sound of that. The English were tedious with their formalities and keen on hiding their emotions behind the mask of class and rank, perhaps, but this man's scholarly background had Alexander hoping he'd at least enjoy a good conversation. Moreover, his background would hopefully help him settle in Brennenburg better than his predecessor – if the man's interests lay in antiques and the arts, well, there would be plenty of work to keep him busy during the long winter months.  
  
Alexander left the library and fetched his best overcoat before returning to the main hall. The hall and the corridors were better lit tonight than they usually were and he thought the castle looked downright welcoming like this. He could hear the wind howling as he descended the stairs and, with a rush of nerves he rarely experienced any more, opened the door to the dark courtyard. A few minutes later Gabriel came galloping up the forest path, slid down from his horse and opened the gates.  
  
“Good evening, your lordship,” the outrider called out to the baron. He walked his horse on the courtyard and moments later the carriage followed him through the gates. The driver lifted his hand in greeting at the sight of Alexander.  
  
“We're here,” he heard the driver say as he brought the horses to a halt. “Help him out, won't you, Gabriel?”  
  
Alexander's eyes were on the carriage as Gabriel opened the door, exchanging quiet words with the passenger, and soon out clambered a thin young man in a modest, dark travelling outfit. Gabriel took the man's travelling trunk despite his protests and then the Englishman turned, stepping into the light for the first time. He was a comely young man, certainly, despite the apprehensive expression on his face and the baron couldn't resist smiling at the sight of him. Wavy brown hair reaching to his chin, carefully trimmed sideburns and the pale complexion of someone who spent more time in his study than outdoors.  
  
Gabriel took off his hat as he led the Englishman towards the door and he bowed politely in greeting. Alexander barely listened, the greetings coming with practised ease, his interest only on the newcomer. He extended his hand to him and said with his kindest voice, “it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Daniel.”  
  
Daniel took his hand and, almost as though as an afterthought, sunk into a smart bow. There was hardly any need for it but Alexander hadn't the heart to tell him so; it was painfully obvious that he was nervous. His hand was cooler than Alexander's and even in this light he could tell the man was shivering, wearied no doubt by his long journey.  
  
“It is a pleasure to meet you too, Lord Baron, sir,” Daniel answered, and the baron's smile widened. His accent was noticeable, there was no question about it, but his German was as fluent as his recommendations had said. He heard the youth's heart beat nervously as his eyes met Alexander's and Alexander found himself holding his breath instinctively. The Englishman had unusually beautiful eyes, a pale green shade that looked most striking in this light, and without quite knowing why Alexander found himself spellbound.  
  
They exchanged some last words with the outrider before he and the driver took their leave. Alexander laid a hand on the Englishman's shoulder in what he hoped was a friendly gesture and felt the brunette start at the touch. He lead Daniel into the entrance hall and closed the door after them, and it was with some amusement that he noticed how the man's eyes flickered this way and that, taking in the appearance of his new home, and the nervousness on his face slowly made way for curiousity.  
  
“I hope you will feel at home in my humble abode,” the baron jested, seeing Daniel's interest. The man flashed a small smile at his comment and, before Alexander could stop himself, he looked directly in the man's eyes once more and saw him tense, so much like a frightened deer locking eyes with a wolf. Alexander cursed inwardly. He was growing careless in his isolation, that was becoming obvious. He would have to learn to adapt to the company of mortals again, lest he reveal himself on accident.  
  
He pretended not to notice how Daniel practically sagged with relief as the baron looked away from him and they conversed lightly as he lead the brunette upstairs, doing his best to keep a polite distance. The Englishman overpronounced his words and struggled with his grammar here and there, but he didn't seem to let it bother himself, at least not enough to keep him from engaging in conversation. His eyes drank in every room they passed and Alexander could sense how his nervousness abated step by step, his heart rate slowing down, and an excited flush rose on the youth's visage the further they walked. He seemed more content speaking now that the baron wasn't facing him and Alexander saw it as a hopeful sign; the man wasn't as timid as he'd come off at first, after all.  
  
Daniel could barely hold back his delight when they reached his new living quarters. Those green eyes widened with keen interest as he studied the drawing room and to the baron's amusement he bowed again. Really, the Englishman's formalities were quite endearing, if unnecessary, and Alexander decided it was too early to tell him to drop them.  
  
Daniel practically beamed as he declared, quite sincerely, “I feel quite spoiled already.”  
  
The baron laughed; he couldn't help it. As much as this man clearly did his best to hide his emotions behind his politeness and his English upbringing, it was obvious that he was not very good at it. There was something about him that the baron couldn't quite put his finger on, something that had intrigued him from the very start, and he could only look forward to seeing what kind of a person the man behind all these formalities was.  
  
Alexander risked one fleeting look at the youth as he was leaving, which went quite unnoticed, much to the baron's relief. His new caretaker had his hands on his hips, mouth slightly open as he scanned his surroundings, clearly eager to inspect them more thoroughly at his leisure, and Alexander decided to let him do just that. He bid the Englishman goodnight and there was a new spring to Alexander's steps as he made his way towards the library. From now on he would no longer be Brennenburg's only occupant.  
  
And truthfully, Alexander thought with a smile, he wouldn't mind residing with such a charming man – at least for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well. I've wanted to continue writing more in this universe since, when did the original fic end again, sometime in 2017? I forget. And now, here we are. These one-shots won't be in chronological order, so each 'chapter' will be its own little standalone story. However, it feels fitting to start this collection from the night they first met. I really look forward to writing more about Alexander and his POV in these shorts, so hope you guys will enjoy them, too. <3
> 
> I'll update this series at my leisure so there won't be a publishing schedule this time, but you can expect there to be quite a lot of these.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna Rose, sleep well tonight  
> The stars are dancing on the carpet of the sky  
> Time to close your wondering eyes  
> Where I see the sleepiness creeping
> 
> Vienna Teng – Anna Rose

_March 1841  
  
_Water slopped onto his shirt and ran down his arms in rivulets as he lifted the watering can again, filled to the brim. He could feel it in his arms, every trip to the well and back again, the watering can feeling heavier each time, but there was enjoyment, too, to seeing his work bear fruit.  
  
It had taken Daniel all morning and most of the afternoon, but the flower beds lining the walls of the eastern wing were finally ready, the soil freshly tilled and ready for the approaching summer. He emptied the watering can over his latest project, a bed where he'd planted an assortment of perennial meadow flowers. He'd taken care to have set places for the more expensive plants, separating different flowers into their own carefully enclosed areas, but this spot, Daniel felt, was special. It was at the far end of the yard, only a stone's throw away from the woodlands, where the garden had been consumed by the surrounding wilderness, and he found he liked it that way; untamed and messy enough to resemble a charming little cottage garden, delightful in its overgrown state.  
  
He glanced around, a smile tugging at his lips. Come summer the gnarly old apple trees would be full of small white flowers, and all around them would grow dandelions, daisies and woodland geraniums, all enveloped by tall grass. The narrow cobblestone path would be nigh on invisible from the greenery where it disappeared into the woods, a sure sign that once upon a time it had surely connected the garden into a hiking trail of some kind.  
  
Daniel tried to imagine Alexander and the late baroness walking between the trees in their Sunday best, a laced parasol shielding them from the sun's rays, and stifled a laugh. He could hardly imagine the baron out on a walking holiday as he was now, let alone as a young man in a pair of decorated heels and a powdered wig.  
  
He set down the watering can, pulled on his gardening gloves again and pushed his hands into the cool soil once more. A wooden crate full of tulip bulbs stood open next to him and he planted them one by one into neat rows just like the gardener in town had instructed him. His handwritten notes, sent with the shipment, lay unfolded nearby and Daniel glanced at them every now and then as he worked, though he knew he must have memorised them by now after studying them almost religiously. _'Kaizerkroon. Plant in the sun or half-shade. Thrives best in porous soil. Blooms early.'_  
  
It wasn't an ideal time of the year for planting bulbous flowers but Daniel hoped at least some of them would grow; the idea of waiting all the way 'till October seemed impossible after seeing the illustrations of fully grown tulips that the gardener had shown him. They would blossom scarlet red with wide yellow edges, he knew, their stems growing as tall as fifteen inches. It painted a lovely picture in his head, row upon row of red and yellow silhouetted against the red tiles of the castle. Daniel smiled, covering each bulb lovingly with soil.  
  
As the sun started setting he gathered up his tools and slowly made his way to the toolshed. His eyes swept over the flower beds, nothing but black soil now but in his mind's eye he could already see what the garden would look like once summer arrived. There, right at the corner of the eastern wing where no trees blocked out the sunlight and the soil was sandier than elsewhere on the grounds, would be poppies, blood orange in colour; and there, where tender young stems were already climbing up the wooden poles would be white and blue morning glories. The peony bushes in the courtyard would be a sea of pinks, reds and whites.  
  
Daniel sat down on the edge of the well, breathing in the cool evening air, eyes slipping closed. Somewhere, a blackbird burst into song, crying its heart out into the falling dusk. He heard the creak of a window being opened and not too long after the sound of the baron's piano began drifting out into the grounds.  
  
Daniel opened his eyes again, gazing towards the open window. Though he knew he could not really see the baron from this distance he still pictured him seated in front of the piano, a soft smile playing at his lips, fingers flying over the keys. Spring air in his hair, traces of sleep still lingering in his eyes.  
  
Summer would come and when it did, the castle grounds would be transformed. The baron would emerge from Brennenburg and walk, ghost-like, quiet as a whisper, in his garden and see it in full bloom for the first time in living memory, perhaps. Daniel hoped his tulips would delight him – he had specifically chosen them with Alexander in mind, after all – even if he'd only see them with their petals closed in the pale light of the moon.  
  
In the castle the baron continued his playing and Daniel remained where he was, listening, until all the stars had come from their hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's end 2018 with something short and sweet, with one hour to go in my location. <3 Thanks for all the support this year, guys, you've honestly made a big difference in my life and given my writing a huge boost. Onwards to 2019!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you know you're so beautiful  
> On the edge of summer  
> That years from now  
> I'll cry to remember  
> How very close you were  
> Knowing this will I reach for you?  
> Knowing this will I reach for you the way you want me to?
> 
> Vienna Teng - Daughter

_March 1841_  
  
Alexander pushed the windows of his study open and inhaled slowly, the cool night air a blessing to his senses. It never ceased to amaze him how it affected one, the wind, with its ability to brush away the remains of restless dreams and clear one's head. His dreams had been peculiar of late, and today, he had awoken to the falling dusk with a sense of dread around his throat as if being strangled.  
  
Perhaps it was the approaching audience with His Grace, though he doubted it. The thought of the duke filled him frustration rather than dread, and while his best days in the high society were now long gone, the occasional visit to the mortal world wasn't entirely without its pleasures.  
  
Alexander made to open the last remaining window as his eyes spied movement on the yard and his hands stilled on the latch. A smile tugged at his lips as he recognised Daniel's lanky figure, all long legs and flyaway hair even at this distance. The baron opened the window slowly and crossed his arms on the sill, watching him silently.  
  
Something in the long, light spring months had transformed him in ways that Alexander hadn't anticipated. His neck was always bent in a manner that spoke of uncounted hours spent poring over books, a telltale sign of a man who had spent years in the academic world, but something in his posture had relaxed as if the garden was breathing life into him and not the other way around. Alexander saw him mop his brow on his sleeve and suppressed the desire to laugh as it only served to spread around the dirt and sweat on his already dirty face.  
  
“Good evening, Daniel,” Alexander called out to him. The youth's head snapped up, a smile lighting his features as his eyes found the baron.  
  
“Evening to you, too, sir,” he answered. The smile made his eyes crease and Alexander decided it was a becoming look on him; friendlier, he thought, driving out the final remains of that hollow look his eyes used to bear when he'd first arrived in Brennenburg. With one last glance at the baron Daniel turned around, making for the toolshed.  
  
There was a light spring to the man's steps as he walked the darkening grounds. Even from his window Alexander could tell how much work he'd put into the garden in the past month alone. Not a corner of the grounds had gone unattended, and each evening Daniel had returned to the castle with grass-stained trousers and rosy cheeks. Alexander had sometimes ventured out of the castle in the early hours of the morning when Daniel was already asleep, wandering in around the garden and breathing in the scent of freshly tilled soil and dew.  
  
An hour later Alexander had retreated to the archives, the pile of unanswered letters next to him on the desk almost as tall as it had been the night before. It was with some surprise that he heard the floorboards creaking and the sound of a door opening and closing. Daniel was never good at muffling his footsteps, though the baron could tell he did try to do just that, the way he moved tentative, as though unsure if his presence was welcome.  
  
There was a knock on the study's door, though Alexander hadn't closed it all the way, and he replied almost before Daniel had had the chance to finish. “Please, come in.”  
  
“Pardon the intrusion,” Daniel said as he stepped in. “I can see that you are busy.”  
  
Alexander smiled without turning to look at him. “Not so busy as to not desire company. Make yourself comfortable. I'm almost finished with this one.”  
  
He heard the brunette sit down on the couch. Alexander could tell he'd just washed; the mild scent of soap hung around him still, soap and, very faintly, blood. Alexander signed the letter with a flourish and folded it neatly, sliding it inside an envelope. He heated up the wax seal above a candle flame and sealed the letter and tossed it in the pile with the others.  
  
“How goes your correspondence?” Daniel asked.  
  
“Slowly, truth to be told. I've put off answering to many of these for too long and now, I pay the price for it,” he said with a sigh. He got up and turned around to find the Englishman smiling at him. “Have you kept up with your own correspondence as of late?”  
  
Daniel made a face. “Not quite as eagerly as I should have, I think. The professor has kept writing me – I feel almost guilty whenever Gabriel brings me another letter from him and I've nothing to have him take back.”  
  
Alexander chuckled. “I'm sure he'd understand. You arrived scarcely five months ago.”  
  
“Five months? It feels like a much longer time.”  
  
The baron discarded his overcoat and draped it over the back of his chair. He walked slowly to the fireplace, bending down to chuck in a couple more logs, which were almost instantly swallowed by the reignited flames. Behind him Daniel hummed appreciatively.  
  
“Better?” Alexander asked.  
  
“Very much so, thank you.” He stretched, leaning back on the couch as the baron got up. “The evenings are still so chilly up here.”  
  
Alexander sat down next to him. His eyes were drawn to the Englishman's jaw, which bore two or three small cuts that hadn't been there before. “Have you hurt yourself again?”  
  
Daniel blinked. Then, realising what the baron was looking at, he laughed, an embarrassed look on his face. “I just shaved. My hand is not very confident with the razor, I'm afraid.”  
  
“Why not just let it grow, then?”  
  
“Just not my preference,” Daniel shrugged. He paused, brows slowly drawing into a tiny, worried frown. “But if it's in fashion in high society, do tell me now so that I can grow it out. I don't want to embarrass you in front of the Hohenzollerns.”  
  
The baron smiled. “And you won't, my friend. You are welcome to join me as you are – as long as you wear the suit, that is.”  
  
“Are you sure? I admit I am not learned in how the upper classes dress, but—“  
  
Daniel fell silent, visibly startled, when Alexander placed a hand over his.  
  
“You needn't change yourself in any way or manner to appear in my company, Daniel,” he said firmly, and looked him directly in the eye. He could sense how the younger man tensed, instinctively holding his breath, and Alexander looked away, inwardly cursing his carelessness. This strange closeness they'd developed in the past months was making him forget who he was; a hunter, predator. Killer. A threat to the man he'd learned to call his friend, no matter how much Daniel claimed that he did not fear him.  
  
It would have been better if he did, Alexander thought, and gave his hand one more clumsy pat before getting up. He'd called him 'murderer' to his face, though at the time his words had been driven more by anger and foolish bravery than fear.  
  
He could still feel Daniel's eyes on him as he returned to his desk and sat down, pulling an empty sheet of paper in front of himself.  
  
“Alexander?” Daniel's voice was uncertain, and the baron smiled at it despite himself.  
  
“Please stay a while longer. I'd like to have company while I work,” he said. He dipped the tip of the quill in the ink bottle and brought it on the paper, hand setting to work immediately. Behind him he heard the creak of the couch and though Daniel replied nothing he could sense the nervous drumming of his heart. He didn't look around as the brunette got up, fully prepared for him to slip out of the study, but his footsteps did not retreat far before coming back once more. The couch creaked again and soon thereafter Alexander heard the sound of pages being turned.  
  
“What are you reading tonight?” he asked.  
  
“I'm trying to study how to best take care of roses. There is much work to be done if I want the garden to look presentable come summer.”  
  
“What have you planted there, if I may ask?”  
  
He could almost hear the smile in Daniel's voice when he answered. “You may, but I won't tell you just yet. Let it be a surprise.”  
  
They lapsed into comfortable silence, broken only by the quiet scratch of a quill on paper and the rustling of pages. When the clock chimed one in the morning Alexander glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to see Daniel asleep with the book open on his lap. His lips were parted as he slept, the tip of his tongue only just peeking out between teeth, and Alexander watched him silently before turning back to his letters.  
  
The slow falling and rising of the youth's chest, the light colour on his face, even the cracked fingernails; how frail, how precious they all were, these signs of his mortality. Every inch of him breathed life and the baron couldn't resist smiling at the sight of it. This light wasn't his to have, perhaps, but he would admire it from afar, just as he admired the dawn that he'd never get to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The symbolism about light and darkness has always been pretty obvious in my writing when it comes to these two, but the vampire aspect makes it more concrete. Whereas Daniel felt that he was enticed by the literal 'dark', the world of night where Alexander as a vampire belongs, I think in the beginning Alexander thought of him as something that he shouldn't get too close to - like daylight, something that he longs for but cannot touch, because it would ruin him (or them both).
> 
> Maybe it's worth mentioning that 'light' doesn't symbolise good or 'dark' evil in my stories; I really don't think it's that simple. It all depends on perspective and that tends to be highly subjective (and the light in my 'lore', if I can call it that, is just as dangerous as the dark, since it can burn and destroy you just as easily). I guess you could see them as symbolising our feelings of longing and obsession - both worlds can be terribly enticing when seen from the other side.
> 
> It's like midnight over here I have no idea, this got deep, enjoy some vampire Alexander POV~ <333


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many moons exist here?  
> On the road returning to my solitary room  
> They watched over me every single night
> 
> The birds that fly now within such moonlight are my feelings alone  
> That I wish to love freely anywhere
> 
> See-Saw - 月ひとつ

_June 1841_

He couldn't remember a hotter summer. The grounds offered very little in the way of shade and it was only in the early mornings and late evenings that Daniel was able to work in the garden.  
  
The first rays of the sun woke him every morning without failure, always finding some tiny gap to shine through. Sometimes he cursed having easterly facing windows in his quarters; other times he was grateful for it, as it made sure he had an excellent vantage point to enjoy what were some of the lovelier sunrises of his life. His breakfast tray's contents varied little day-to-day, and Daniel oft found himself looking forward to his quiet mornings with a pot of honey-sweetened black tea and the scones and biscuits served with fresh butter and marmalade, watching the sky's slow transformation in the face of a new day.  
  
It would be another hot day with hardly a cloud in sight, Daniel thought as he stepped out on the courtyard and made his way to the well. He filled the watering can once, then twice, thrice, until he lost count on the seemingly endless trips between the well and the flower beds, and sweat rolled down his forehead and dampened his hair in no time at all. The roses, in particular, took a long time to water, and he enjoyed the sight of his tulips opening their blossoms as they did each morning, glad to notice that they were yet to show any signs of wilting despite the heat.  
  
By noon, when he was done watering the flowers, he retired in the shade of the lilac trees for an early lunch, and when his eyelids started drooping he did not resist the temptation to lay down in the grass. His daydreaming mind revisited the Hohenzollern mansion, picturing the carriage ride down the oak-flanked driveway, and the garden was in full bloom with flowers both familiar and exotic. A gloved hand took his, pulling him into a world that was all gentle summer wind and scattered petals, and he woke up with his heart racing at the memory of hastily stolen kisses in the shade of linden trees. The warmth of someone else's hand in his seemed to linger even after waking and no matter how he tried, he could not tell if the hand had been the lady Margaret's or Alexander's.  
  
Daniel glanced at the ivy-covered wall behind which he knew the baron slumbered and a bundle of nerves tightened in his chest. How many evenings had it been since he'd last seen the vampyre, driven into hiding as the days grew ever longer? The scar on his wrist tingled dully as though in response to his thoughts.  
  
“The nights will continue to grow even shorter,” Daniel sighed and returned to his chores, eyelids still heavy with lingering sleep.  
  
The evening air was heavy with honeysuckle and lilac, the buzzing of bumblebees only growing louder as the sun dipped lower on the sky. He took his time to crack open the windows in the archives before returning to the grounds once more, and he wandered among the trees until the sky had turned a deep crimson. It was only during the short hours of darkness that the temperature dropped and Daniel closed his eyes, just for a moment, relishing the breeze. He sat down by the old well and with some difficulty managed to wrench his eyes away from the castle's windows. Soon, he knew, lights would flare into life behind the window panes and the lord of the castle would roam in its halls again.  
  
Daniel leaned his back against the well, turning his attention on the sky. It had been a long time since he'd last sat down like this, watching the stars – possibly the first time since Algeria, he mused. Herbert had told him in advance that nights on the desert would be cold and dark, but Daniel had rather found them star-bright, his unaccustomed eyes drinking in the sight of more constellations that he'd ever seen with a naked eye. The nights in Brennenburg were much the same; the fabric of the sky was so full of stars that he couldn't muster the strength to fear the dark.  
  
Had the Milky Way always been so bright, he wondered quietly, and slowly counted the constellations he recognised. There was Cassiopeia, yes, and the three stars that made up the Belt of Orion helped him locate the rest of Orion. His eyes found the Pole Star and with it the Ursa Major, and here, so far away from the light pollution of London, he could even see the Ursa Minor with ease, normally too faint to be fully visible.  
  
“Daniel?”  
  
Alexander came striding the cobblestone path between the peonies and hydrangeas, his footfalls too soft to make a sound. Despite it being almost an hour past sunset he still bore the look of one who'd just risen – his otherwise pristine outfit was missing its cravat and an overcoat, his hair tousled as if he'd spent the day in bed doing… doing something else than sleeping, and, my, was it a becoming look on him. It was too easy to envision burying his fingers in the baron's hair, just to test whether it was as silken as it looked, and if he'd, say, _accidentally_ pricked his finger on the garden shears, perhaps the baron could have been tempted and—  
  
_No, no, stop that,_ Daniel told himself, feeling rather warm all of a sudden. _He has already told you that it's too early.  
  
_He hitched a smile on his face, praying that his improper thoughts wouldn't show, and said, “good evening. Did you have a good rest?”  
  
Alexander's answering smile was warm and seemed to rob all air from his lungs. “Very much so, thank you.”  
  
Daniel made to get up and the baron stepped closer, offering him his hand. The Englishman hesitated, hand pausing in mid-air; there was a generous layer of dirt underneath his fingernails, his hands still dirty from a day of garden work.  
  
“Oh, no, there is no need,” he hastened to say, shaking his head. “I couldn't possibly—“  
  
“I don't mind the dirt. I've done my fair share of gardening in my time, as you might recall.”  
  
Alexander inclined his head meaningfully and Daniel took his hand, letting the elder pull him to his feet. He dusted off his trousers, painfully aware of the sweat and grass stains on them suddenly, but Alexander didn't seem to notice. He was still smiling when he said, “have you been in the garden all day?”  
  
“Pretty much,” Daniel replied. “The blooming season is at its finest right now.”  
  
“I can see that. Would you care to give me a tour?”  
  
“Certainly, though I'm afraid you'll find my knowledge in this field lacking. I am no gardener or botanist, as it were.”  
  
“You are much too quick to put yourself down,” Alexander chided, though his tone was kind. “What species have you planted? Introduce us as if I knew nothing about plants.”  
  
Daniel laughed. “You make it sound like we're going to a social gathering.”  
  
“Perhaps we are. Plants make the best company of all, don't you think?”  
  
He shook his head incredulously but offered Alexander his arm anyway. The baron took it and they set off, Daniel decisively ignoring the flutter of nerves in the pit of his stomach that had manifested as soon as Alexander had touched him. They first stopped by the tulips, his pride and joy, and Daniel waved his hand in sweeping motion, indicating the yellow-and-red variety that stood closest to them.  
  
“I'd like you to meet _Kaizerkroon_ , who is a very popular cultivar of garden tulips, or túlipa gesneriána,” Daniel said in a singsong voice, pretending to introduce the baron to a new acquaintance. “She requires well-drained soil and thrives best in the sun as well as part-shade. Note her signature colouring, bright scarlet with vivid yellow edges on each petal.”  
  
Alexander bowed politely in the tulips' direction and Daniel supressed the desire to laugh again. “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said somberly, though the Englishman though he saw the corners of his mouth twitching.  
  
“Sir, I do declare that you are making fun of me,” Daniel told him, his tone one of mock-accusation.  
  
“I'd never do such a thing. Please, let's move on.”  
  
They continued walking and Daniel pointed at the tulips in the next flower bed. “A cultivar of túlipa fosteriána, 'Red Emperor', recognisable by her large fiery red petals. And right next to is a white variety known either as 'Purissima' or 'White Emperor'. Her signature white petals and the yellow core on each blossom are easily recognisable.”  
  
From tulips to poppies, morning glories to roses, they slowly circled around the castle, taking care to stop by each variety. Alexander listened to him without interrupting, a small smile on his face, and his steps grew lighter with each minute – it was easy to tell that he was clearly enjoying himself. Daniel wondered when he'd last had the possibility to enjoy the garden like this, like a mortal man. It was a saddening thought that the baron couldn't pursue a beloved hobby with his condition, though he could see why that was; gardening at night could certainly have added to his reputation as an eccentric, not to mention it simply being impractical.

They rounded a corner and stepped into an overgrown area away from the garden path, at the very edge of the grounds where several old apple trees stood. Grass reached well above their knees and wild flowers bloomed all around, giving the place the look of a meadow.  
  
Alexander let go of him arm and stepped beneath the apple trees, laying his hand on the bark. There was a wondering look on his face as he looked up at the hundreds of white flowers among the leaves.  
  
“I'm amazed these trees still live,” he mused, giving the trunk a gentle pat. “We planted them together, my wife and I.”  
  
“You did?” Daniel asked. “I've never heard of apple trees living that long.”  
  
“They are surprisingly long-lived if cared for properly. There used to be many, many more but now, only these few remain. It has been a long time since Brennenburg had a gardener.”  
  
Daniel, too, placed his hand on the bark. “I wonder if they'll produce fruit come autumn.”  
  
“I doubt it. Apple trees need regular pruning in order to bear fruit and these have been neglected for decades.” Alexander paused, frowning thoughtfully. “Perhaps even a century, now that I think about it.”  
  
“Still,” Daniel said and pulled down a small branch, heavy with sweet-smelling flowers. “It's impressive that they still bloom at all.”  
  
“It is,” Alexander agreed. To Daniel's surprise he sat down in the grass, resting his back against the trunk.  
  
“Alexander?”  
  
“It's a pleasant night. I'd like to stay here for a while.”  
  
Slowly, Daniel sat down next to him. Despite the late hour the woodlands were alive with birdsong all around them. Blackbirds went about their nocturnal concert as more and more stars came out of hiding, and somewhere nearby a nightingale burst into its unmistakeable song. Daniel glanced at the baron from the corner of his eye. His eyes were closed as he leaned against the tree trunk, a small smile on his lips, and Daniel did not disturb him.  
  
“Thank you for staying with me,” Alexander said, eyes still closed.  
  
Daniel smiled. “Do you mean tonight, or in general?”  
  
The baron just laughed but did not answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, long time no new chapter! A warm summer has rolled in even here up in the north, so now felt like a suitable time to post this. *melts* I don't like heat or the summer, personally, but writing about it is always lovelier than the reality.
> 
> Also: happy Midsummer, everyone! Enjoy the short, twilit night and wander in the dusk gathering seven flowers to place beneath your pillow, as an old folk belief up here says. <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And if I should die tomorrow  
> I'd go down with a smile on my face  
> I thank God I've ever known you  
> I fall down on my knees  
> For all the love we've made
> 
> Céline Dion - Seduces Me

_Spring 1841_

“May I?”

“Please,” Daniel breathed, and the baron gathered him in his arms. He lowered the youth on the bed gently and climbed over him as he had so many times before, Daniel's arms settling on his waist as though on their own. His eyes were only half-open as he looked up at Alexander and the elder could read an emotion he didn't recognise into his gaze.  
  
Was it fear, perhaps? Anticipation? Alexander pressed a kiss on the youth's cheek, then the corner of his mouth, his jaw, and Daniel's eyes closed, his head tilting back. Moonlight seemed to rob him of what little colour he had, making him look like he, too, belonged in the world of night, but his body was warm and inviting – alive – beneath the baron, all the more beautiful for its imperfections. The dark circles underneath his eyes, the hollows of his cheeks, even the telltale cuts here and there on his jaw line that spoke of a carelessly handled razor; they were all him, and that made them beautiful.  
  
Alexander slowly removed his cravat and unbuttoned his collar, holding his breath for each inch of skin that was exposed. He felt Daniel push up against him as he folded back the collar, a small sound escaping him as Alexander bent down to leave another trail of kisses on his neck, pausing right over his jugular. He could feel the soft thrum of life against his lips as he slowly suckled on the spot, careful to mind his teeth, and Daniel's arms wound around him, fingers clawing at the back of his waistcoat.  
  
“Please,” Daniel repeated, an edge of desperation to his voice as if he shared Alexander's hunger at this moment.  
  
“Hush, now,” the baron whispered in his ear. He pushed a hand below the youth's head and gently lifted it up. He let his lips linger on Daniel's neck, kissing him once, twice, before sinking his teeth into his flesh. The body below him trembled with a voiceless cry, bucking up against him again.  
  
Some things never changed, Alexander thought; the first drops of blood were just as sweet on his tongue as the very first time he'd fed, a newborn vampyre, more than a century ago. Strength returned to his limbs, the exhaustion that had settled into his bones over the course of the past weeks ebbing away until he could no longer remember it. Daniel's arms shook as he clung to the baron and his voice was a mere gasping whisper, breathing its endless plea of 'please, please, _please_ ' that entwined seamlessly with the voice in Alexander's head.  
  
When he pulled out the brunette let out a soft moan, hands still clutching at the elder's waistcoat. Alexander kissed the wound until it stopped bleeding, licking away each drop, and his hands were tender as he lowered Daniel's head back on the pillows. There was a light flush on his visage despite the blood loss, and when his eyes opened and found Alexander's all he did for a while was look at him, a long, searching look on his face. Alexander's hands started buttoning up his collar until he was decent, but when he made to withdraw Daniel's hands closed around his wrists.  
  
“Stay. Please,” the brunette said, his voice hoarse. Alexander paused, surprised, but heeded the request and laid down beside him. He didn't protest as the younger man drew closer and draped an arm around him, and long minutes passed as Alexander stroked his hair, listening to him catch his breath.  
  
Daniel looked at him again, lips parted, and the baron could read the question in his eyes. He let the brunette close the distance between them and when they kissed it was a long, lingering one, all urgency gone. Daniel's lips were tender against his, his breath enticingly warm, and each little noise he let out between kisses stubbornly tugged at something in Alexander's chest.  
  
“Thank you,” he murmured against Daniel's mouth. The only answer he received was the slide of Daniel's mouth against his.  
  
The younger man's breath slowed down as he quietly, inevitably drifted off into sleep, his body heavy in Alexander's arms, and the elder could hear his heartbeat as clearly as if it had been his own. Weaker, perhaps, than before the blood-letting, but alive and steady regardless. He stroked the youth's sleeping face gently, willing every feature into his memory.  
  
_Should you die tomorrow, I want to remember you,_ he thought. _I want to remember you like this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really wanted to write a biting scene from Alexander's point of view, y'all.


End file.
